Christmas Eve Eve....

It was such a grey and gloomy day but just as we were leaving, the sun broke through to set. It was gorgeous so I just had to stop and take a picture! I keep telling you all that I would love to be a photographer even though the one taking the pics just does not capture the splendor of the moments! :) Sooooorry!

Lyssa and Kate...Just look at those chubby and cute cheeks! On Kate, I mean! Jk Lyssa :)
Joe sitting with Kate, calm and chill as usual and Carter attempting to hug or maul Emma :)
This was the other day when the Zimmerman's came over to see our house since the last time they'd been over. They were just glad to not see wallpaper strippers, paint brushes, and the 1 800 Got Junk truck in the driveway!

If only....

I know that it is hard to see the price tag but this present cost me $2.99. When I asked the kids what they wanted to get their Dad for Christmas, this is what they both came up with...some glasses for him to wear when he is mowing or weed eating the grass! They were so excited to go into Duff-Shelley and pick them out themselves and they were so proud of the idea that they'd come up with. I am laughing and can not wait to see what he says when he opens this present! If only all of my gifts would cost me $2.99!

More Memories...

I was in the 7th grade, so that would have been the Christmas of 1989 if my math is correct. That is when my Mom and I first discovered our love and obsession for shopping...especially if it is together. That was the first Christmas that I knew what all of my presents were before I opened them. The Burlington Mall was closing out a store...Brooks...and I am not sure if that is the same as the American store so we decided to help them out with their closing. In Canada there was a popular shoe named "Tretorns" and it was really big when I was that age. I loved them and still do. I actually found some in the Garnett Hill catalogue and bought them. Anyway, back to my story...I bought 3 pairs of Tretorns, 1 pair of Penny Loafers, which were also the thing to own, some cute button down shirts, and some athletic clothes. I also went over to Roots and bought a few pairs of their ever so comfortable jogging pants which I loved! I got the "Bobby Brown" and "Paula Abdul" tapes and some other random gifts but I do remember the feeling I felt after I opened all of my gifts...SADNESS...I did not have any surprises like my parents usually made sure that we had and it made me unhappy. It once again goes back to one of my favorite statements...Ignorance is Bliss...but it was my own fault. My Mom and I had a lot of fun but I still realized how fun those surprises are! I expressed this to my Mom and she felt so sorry even though it was not her fault but since that year, even to this day, those surprises are still there. Think about it...those times are the most treasured...The joy you feel when you give and receive a surprise! Don't worry...I will let you know what it ends up being this year!

Memories cont....

Real quick tonight with one more Christmas memory. Another memorable gift was a certain type of sled, or as we called it, a toboggan :) It was called a G T Racer or a Snow Fox and it had a steering wheel and brakes and you sat on it like a four wheeler. There was the best sledding hill across the street from our house and we could get that thing hauling on the snow-ice of the east coast. We had a good laugh today about how crazy we used to be on those things as we watched, as paranoid parents, our kids mimicking us! Oh the joys of being an innocent child!

Memories cont....

We moved to Toronto, Canada in November of 1985. I was 8 and I remember the day that the moving truck came, the snow was as tall as I was. That first Christmas we were up there was pretty low key since we were still making our way out of moving boxes but the next year was one that I will always remember. Cabbage Patch dolls were still the thing to own so that was the big desire. I woke up in the middle of the night and finally got up the courage to sneak down to the tree to see if Santa had come. Oh and did he ever! There were presents that covered the entire floor! No lie! I ran back up, woke up Jake, and brought him down to discover the Christmas heaven. We hurried back up to bed and quickly fell asleep until we were awoken by Jenny. Piles and piles of torn wrapping paper later brought Cabbage Patch dolls for us all, Jake included! I still remember Jake's boy Cabbage Patch doll's name...Pete...

ps...just tell me how perfect this picture is that I was able to find!?!

Christmas Memories....

Whenever I hear any of the Carpenter's Christmas songs, I am taken back to a Christmas Eve when I was 5 or 6 years old. We are sitting in our front room and listening to "A Carpenter's Christmas" on my Dad's old 8 track. The only lights that are on are the one's on the tree and we are just sitting together as a family. I remember just feeling so safe and so happy. That is also the same year that my Dad made me a huge three level dollhouse and the year that Jake got a "Wonder Horse". When we came down the hall, they were wrapped by being covered in white sheets! A very funny but vivid memory! That was also the year that I swore I saw Santa's sleigh as I looked out the window while we were driving home from the Sainsbury Christmas Eve party. When we were home, tucked in bed, we even heard Santa's bells and his reindeer's hooves landing on our roof aka dad going outside shaking some bells and throwing a tennis ball over and over onto the roof :)